During the average career of a JC student, he or she might take one or two trips. It could be a spring break trip to Greece and Italy or a short camping trip to Assateague Island.  But most students don’t get the chance to learn about and experience a variety of cultures around the world. However, this is exactly what the newest club at JC is offering.

Led by media specialist Anne Baker, English teacher Tiana Redfern, guidance counselor Larry Hensley, and seniors Alesia Etinoff and Maggie Yankovich, this new club’s goal is to raise awareness about different cultures and ethnicities.

Though the club has no formal name yet, Baker referred to the group as being like that of “the Humanities,” studying the human condition.

The club looks to give students the chance to experience the world and its differences from the culture that they know.

“The idea is for people to find out what being a human really is,” said Etinoff. “It is for anybody who likes traveling, different types of food, things like that.”

“This club will let us not just learn about but actually experience diversity by planning trips to different areas enriched by cultures ranging from Asian to African American to European,” added Yankovich. “It engages the members to get out and explore what has always been around but maybe never had the chance to see by organizing day trips to places of interest.”

Celebrating and learning about Black History Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and the Chinese New Year will also help to expand members’ knowledge of global cultures, according to Etinoff.

As far as meeting times, Baker hopes the club will meet anywhere from once a week to once a month. “Now, our goal is just to find interest,” Baker said.

Baker also hopes to start the traveling with the club as soon as possible.  “We were thinking a trip to Annapolis at the end of the month.  There’s so much history close to us that we don’t realize,” she said.  As far as global travel, Baker said, “We have high hopes for that sort of thing.”

Other faculty members interested in the club are fine arts teacher Michael Shupe and religion teacher Brian Bourne.  According to Baker, Bourne is interested in bringing the spiritual factor into the club.  “We are also trying to bring service opportunities [into the trips],” Baker added.

The club’s first meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 24 in Room 112.

Taylor Schafer can be reached for comment at [email protected].